One Million Books. One Unforgettable Morning in Granville County.

On the morning of May 15, 2026, something remarkable happened at Wilton Elementary School in Franklinton, North Carolina: a child picked up a book — the millionth book harvested during our Books on Break program.

Since Book Harvest first launched Books on Break in 2012, thousands of elementary students across North Carolina have chosen ten brand-new, high-interest books to take home, keep, and read all summer long. Last year alone, Books on Break reached 17,740 students across 55 North Carolina counties.

The million-book moment didn't happen in a boardroom or on a stage. It happened the way Books on Break always does: in a school media center lined with tables of brand-new books, with kids moving through the rows, reading back covers, consulting their friends, and claiming titles they'd carry home and keep forever.

Granville County Public Schools Superintendent, Dr. Stan Winborne, was there to mark the moment, joining Book Harvest staff, teachers, and district leads.

One million new additions to home libraries across the state; one million chances for a child to read what they wanted to read, on their own terms, over their own summer. This milestone belongs to every partner, donor, teacher, and family who has believed in this work since 2012.

The joy of Books on Break is real. So is the impact. Research has long supported what Books on Break families and teachers already know: access to self-selected books for summer reading is one of the most effective strategies for preventing summer learning loss — and successive years of book ownership confer benefits comparable to summer school, at a fraction of the cost. Books on Break is Book Harvest's commitment to putting that research into joyful, tangible action.

Here's to the next million — in North Carolina, and beyond!

Interested in bringing Books on Break to your district, school, or organization? Contact Megan LeFaivre, Associate Director of Partnerships, School Age Initiatives, at mlefaivre@bookharvest.org.